Wes and Scott talk with VC Dan Levine about how developers can raise venture capital, what investors look for in early-stage startups, the realities of bootstrapping vs. fundraising, and why great ideas often start as simple side projects. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:55 Dan’s background and career 03:10 Is it common for tech investors to come from a tech background? 04:40 How can developers raise money? 08:35 What investors look for 12:39 How much funding is enough? 15:41 Are founders working with multiple investors? 18:26 What can you use the money for? 22:49 How much influence do investors have in the business? 29:56 Brought to you by Sentry.io 29:56 How involved are VCs in the business? 34:22 How do you know a startup is in trouble—and what can you do about it? 38:56 How much of the company do investors own? 40:43 What’s the endgame for investors? 44:02 How do acqui-hires work? 46:29 Is the AI space a real opportunity or just hype? 53:22 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Dan: Dandelion Chocolate Jules Pizza Shameless Plugs Dan: Linear Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads